Columbus-area hospital offers trauma services
The number of Central Ohio hospitals providing adult care for the most critical of injuries climbed to five on Monday as University Hospital East began offering Level III trauma services.
The trauma center designation means residents of the Near East Side and surrounding neighborhoods have an option closer to home for treatment of serious falls, auto-accident injuries or gunshot wounds.
“We consider ourselves to be a part of this neighborhood. So this is our opportunity to expand the services that are available to take care of the sickest patients that come through our emergency room,” said Dr. Michael Sutherland, medical director of trauma services at the hospital, which is part of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Sutherland said the main changes in the emergency department involve creating a “readiness posture,” with policies and procedures for responding to and assessing injured patients.
A trauma orthopedic surgeon will be on hand, and an emergency bay has been remodeled and equipped with additional blood for transfusions and carts with essential supplies. Communication between the ED and paramedics, Sutherland said, will allow a team of nurses, physicians, and others to be at the ready when a patient arrives.
“Trauma centers save lives,” Sutherland said. “The thing that has the biggest impact on that is having those resources readily available if the patient needs them and approaching each patient in a very standardized way.”
While trauma cases have long shown up at the hospital as walk-ins, staff had focused on stabilization and transfer to a trauma center elsewhere, said Ken Groves, nurse manager. Now, trained and certified in trauma-responsive care, they have additional expertise and quick access to an operating room.
“Staff have been really high energy, highly engaged,” he said. “We’re really excited to elevate that game and bring resources to our (emergency department) that are very unique.”
The hospital emergency department serves about 52,000 patients annually, with expectations of about 1,000 additional patients due to the trauma designation.
“While it might be relatively a low number, we feel that it’s very important care; if it’s one life that we’re able to make a difference in that’s important to us,” said Mary Howard, hospital executive director. “A major part of our strategic plan is a healthy community, and whatever role we can play, we want to do that.”
The opening comes a month after the Mount Carmel Hospital System moved a Level II trauma center from its West hospital in Franklinton to its East hospital on the Far East Side.
Level III is the lowest trauma designation, based on resources, admissions and research performed. However, the new site will benefit from being part of the Ohio State medical system and able to share physicians and specialists who work at Wexner’s main campus in the University District, where there is a Level I trauma center, Sutherland said.
Other adult trauma centers in Central Ohio are at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center (Level I), which is downtown, and OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital (Level II) on the Northwest Side. Nationwide Children’s Hospital, just east of Downtown, operates a Level I pediatric trauma center.